Copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 687,318, filed May 26, 1976 by Elena M. Bingham and William Joseph Middleton, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 597,502, now abandoned, discloses certain novel 3-fluorobenzodiazepines of the formula: ##STR1## where X is Cl, Br, NO.sub.2, or CF.sub.3 ;
Y is H, Cl, Br or F; PA1 D is H, hydrocarbyl of 1-4 carbons, --CH.sub.2 CF.sub.3, --CONHR, --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NR.sub.2, or --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NR.sub.2 .A, where R is alkyl of 1-4 carbons and A is a pharmaceutically suitable acid; PA1 B is 0; or PA1 B and D together is .dbd.N--N.dbd.C(R')-- PA1 Y is H, Cl, Br or F; and PA1 Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2 are Cl or Br. PA1 B = 0; PA1 x = cl; PA1 D = h; PA1 d = c.sub.1 -c.sub.3 alkyl; PA1 X = cl and D = H; PA1 X = cl and D = C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkyl. PA1 X = cl or Br; PA1 Y = h, cl, or F; PA1 D = h, --ch.sub.3, or --C.sub.2 H.sub.5 ; and PA1 B = 0. PA1 X = cl or Br; PA1 Y = h or F; PA1 D = ch.sub.3 ; and PA1 B = 0.
where R' is H or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, and the use of such compounds as tranquilizers, muscle relaxants and sedatives in mammals. In addition, Bingham and Middleton disclose a process for making such compounds by reaction of the corresponding 3-hydroxybenzodiazepine with a dialkylaminosulfur trifluoride as follows: ##STR2## where R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are a primary alkyl group of 1-4 carbons or taken together are --(CH.sub.2).sub.4 -- or --(CH.sub.2).sub.5.
In addition, copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 807,075, filed simultaneously with the present application by William Joseph Middleton discloses an improved process for preparing such 3-fluorobenzodiazepines, which improved process can be summarized schematically by the following equations: ##STR3## where
X is Cl, Br, NO.sub.2 or CF.sub.3 ;
Middleton also discloses that starting material (1) can be prepared by the process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,398,139.